So Many Hearts

Daphne Barnes-Phillips was born and raised in Reading, spending her formative years living in the Basingstoke Road, just a quarter of a mile from George Palmer Infant and Junior Schools where she was a pupil from 1949 to 1955.

In So many hearts make a school, she tells not only her own memories of her time there, but has collected memories from 50 other pupils and staff across the 100 years that are celebrated in this book.

Many hours of research at the Berkshire Records Office and Reading Central Library have unearthed facts and figures previously unknown to most pupils and staff throughout the century that the George Palmer Schools have existed on the site between Basingstoke Road and Northumberland Avenue.

When it was known that the original buildings were to be demolished in 2004, Daphne organised 3 reunions in those buildings and 4 in the new George Palmer Primary School. At those gatherings, former pupils and staff were encouraged to bring along photographs, many of which have been used in this publication and in George Palmer School in photographs.